


No Need to Be Alone

by predilection



Category: Naruto
Genre: Fix-It, Gen, Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-07-07
Packaged: 2018-04-08 05:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 698
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4292748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/predilection/pseuds/predilection
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A re-write of a scene from "Road to Ninja" in which Naruto sleeps over at Sakura's place instead of sleeping outside on a bench.</p>
            </blockquote>





	No Need to Be Alone

**Author's Note:**

> This is a short scene I would have loved to have seen in the movie "Road to Ninja". I thought it was strange that Naruto slept outside when he could've slept at Sakura's. I also wanted to see Sakura dealing with the fact her parents were dead in Madara's world. And so this fic was born.

Naruto tried to make himself comfortable on the bench. He tossed and turned for an hour, and while he managed to doze for a few minutes here and there, he never really fell asleep. The bench was hard and uncomfortable, and he could hear every little noise made by the village.

After what felt like hours of discomfort, Naruto brought himself to his feet and headed towards Sakura's place.

It only took five minutes of him banging on her door for her to answer it.

"What is it? You know it's three in the morning, right?" she yelled through the door before she yanked it open. 

"Naruto?" she asked, her expression going from annoyed to surprised and worried as she looked him over. "What happened?"

"Can I stay here?" he asked sleepily. "I don't seem to have an apartment in this world."

Sakura blinked at him, and then her expression softened. "Oh, sure." She opened her door enough to let him inside. 

Naruto toed off his shoes. As he tossed them in the general direction of Sakura's discarded boots, he remembered her mother complaining about her messiness, and asked, "Are you sure your parents won't mind?"

Sakura didn't reply, and when he turned to look at her, her brows were furrowed.

It was late and he was tired after a very strange day, so it took him a moment to realize what he had said, and when he did, he slapped a hand over his mouth.

Her parents were dead in this world.

"I'm sorry," he said, feeling like he had been doused with cold water. 

She wrung her hands and the side of her mouth quirked upwards. "It's okay," she said, even though her tone said it wasn't. "This world isn't... This is an illusion created by Madara. My parents are fine. They're just not... here."

"Still..." Naruto started awkwardly. His eyes wandered and while he hadn't been to Sakura's place many times before, it was obvious to him that the apartment was sparser than he remembered. The family photos that usually lined the walls were gone, as were the brightly colored tapestries her mother liked. 

He looked back at Sakura and frowned. He, of all people, knew what it was like to come home to an empty house.

"I haven't really thought much about it," she admitted. "It's kinda nice not to have anyone nagging me, you know?"

She smiled, but it looked forced.

"Sakura," he said.

"I'll see if I can find you a blanket," Sakura said quickly, walking away from him. "You okay with the couch?"

"Yeah," he said around the lump that had formed in his throat.

He walked into her living room and sat down on her couch. It was soft and squishy and a hundred percent better than a hard bench exposed to the elements. He sighed in relief.

Sakura returned with a pillow and a blanket and handed them to him. As he took them from her, she said, "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll find a way home."

He felt like he was the one who should be telling her that.

"Of course we will," he said, determined.

Sakura didn't say anything more, but she also didn't leave the room. She stood by the end of the couch looking at the far wall. The silence that grew between them felt heavy.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked.

"I'm glad you came over," she said quietly.

"Oh," Naruto said, thinking about loneliness, about loss, and about this strange world that they had found themselves in. He wasn't happy to be here or to be part of whatever Madara was scheming, but he was happy he was able to keep Sakura company. He stood up so he could place his hand on her shoulder and told her, "Thanks for letting me stay."

She put one of her hands over his and squeezed gently. "Goodnight, Naruto," she said, looking up at him. He could hear the gratitude in her voice and see it in her eyes.

"Goodnight, Sakura," he replied, offering her a small smile.

She left the room, presumably to go back to bed, and Naruto settled comfortably on her couch. He fell asleep almost instantly.


End file.
